The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in partnership with Rite Foods Limited, will honour seven exceptional Nigerian undergraduates with N5 million each at the maiden academic excellence recognition award ceremony scheduled for Tuesday in Lagos.
Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s public communication adviser, said in a statement on Sunday that the initiative is aimed at celebrating academic excellence, rewarding merit and encouraging young Nigerians to strive for outstanding educational achievements.
Benjamin said each of the seven awardees emerged through a rigorous, transparent and merit-based selection process coordinated by the examination body.
According to him, the recipients distinguished themselves during the 2025 admission exercise by recording exceptional performances in both the unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) and the post-UTME or institutional screening exercises conducted by their respective universities.
Benjamin said six of the awardees represent Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, while the seventh award is reserved for the highest-performing admitted candidate with a disability.
The beneficiaries are students admitted into the University of Lagos, University of Uyo, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, University of Maiduguri and the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
The University of Lagos is the only institution with two award recipients, producing the south-west zonal winner and the recipient in the category for candidates with disabilities.
JAMB spokesperson said the award, sponsored by Rite Foods Limited, reflects the shared commitment of both organisations to promoting excellence in education and recognising outstanding academic performance.
The ceremony is expected to attract more than 300 participants drawn from the education sector, government, academia and the corporate community.
Among the expected dignitaries are Tunji Alausa, minister of education, Is-haq Oloyede, JAMB registrar, vice-chancellors of the universities attended by the award recipients, vice-chancellors of universities in Lagos state, and chief executives of key regulatory agencies.
Also expected are representatives of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), principal officers of tertiary institutions, education stakeholders, development partners, corporate leaders, students and members of the media.
